JP2520495Y2 - Light control material - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial application] The present invention relates to a light control material using a liquid crystal sheet.

[Conventional technology]

A light control material using a liquid crystal sheet changes from a light scattering state (white turbid state) to a light transmitting state (transparent state) when a voltage is applied between the transparent electrodes of the liquid crystal sheet to orient the liquid crystal molecules in the electric field direction. Therefore, various light control applications such as brides, daylighting materials, displays, and partitions are expected.

As a main light control material, for example, a light control material having a structure as shown in FIG. 4 is known. This light control material
Transparent glass plates 101, 101 are bonded to the upper and lower surfaces of the liquid crystal sheet 100 with a polyvinyl butyral adhesive, and the peripheral edge of the liquid crystal sheet 100 is covered with a resin film 102. The resin film 102 is provided to prevent the plasticizer in the polyvinyl butyral adhesive from invading the liquid crystal sheet 100 from the end face and adversely affecting it, and also to prevent delamination and electric leakage from the end face of the liquid crystal sheet 100. It has been done.

[Problems to be solved by the device]

However, like the above-mentioned light control material, the liquid crystal sheet 100
If the peripheral portion of the is covered with the resin film 102, the thickness of the peripheral portion becomes thicker by the thickness of the resin film 102, and a step can be formed, so that the bonding work of the glass plates 101, 101 becomes difficult and the adhesion is improved. Therefore, when the glass plates 101, 101 are pressed from above and below, the glass plates 101, 101 often break.

[Means for solving the problem]

In order to solve the above problems, the light control material of the present invention is such that a transparent resin film is laminated on the upper and lower surfaces of a liquid crystal sheet, the peripheral edges of the films are sealed together, and further transparent substrates are laminated and integrated on the upper and lower surfaces thereof. It is characterized by that.

[Action]

Since the light control material of the present invention wraps the entire liquid crystal sheet by sealing the peripheral edges of the transparent resin films laminated on the upper and lower surfaces of the liquid crystal sheet, the upper and lower surfaces are flat without any step. Therefore, the work of laminating and integrating transparent base materials such as glass plates on both the upper and lower flat surfaces is easy, and even if the transparent base material is pressed to improve the adhesion, there is no risk of the transparent base material cracking. Further, when the peripheral edges of the transparent resin films laminated on the upper and lower surfaces of the liquid crystal sheet are thus sealed and the entire liquid crystal sheet is wrapped, the penetration of the plastic liquid crystal sheet contained in the adhesive by the film is caused. As a result, the liquid crystal sheet is reliably prevented from being delaminated and the electric leakage is prevented.

〔Example〕

 Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing an embodiment of the light control material of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a liquid crystal sheet.

The light control material of this embodiment is such that transparent resin films 2, 2 having a slightly larger area are laminated on the upper and lower surfaces of the liquid crystal sheet 1 and the peripheral edges 2a, 2a of the films 2, 2 are sealed together, and further on the upper and lower surfaces thereof. It has a structure in which the transparent substrates 3, 3 are laminated and integrated.

The liquid crystal sheet 1 includes transparent electrode films 1c and 1c each having a transparent electrode 1b formed on one surface on both upper and lower surfaces of a liquid crystal layer 1a containing liquid crystal.
As shown in FIG. 2, one side edge of the liquid crystal sheet is formed by partially cutting off the liquid crystal layer 1a and the lower transparent electrode film 1c. The upper transparent electrode 1b is exposed, and the other side edge of the liquid crystal sheet is formed by partially cutting off the liquid crystal layer 1a and the upper transparent electrode film 1c to expose the lower transparent electrode 1b. Then, the collector electrodes 1d, 1d are formed in a strip shape on the exposed portions of the respective transparent electrodes 1b, 1b, and the lead wire connecting terminal pieces 1e, 1e are bonded to these collector electrodes 1d, 1d with a conductive adhesive or the like. I am doing it. The terminal pieces 1e, 1e are the peripheral edges 2a, 2a to which the transparent resin films 2, 2 are attached.
It projects further outward.

The liquid crystal layer 1a is composed of a mixture of a thermosetting epoxy resin, a photocurable acrylic resin, an epoxy resin, an ene / thiol resin, and the like, in which an appropriate amount of nematic liquid crystal, microbeads, and a curing agent are mixed. It is sandwiched between the films 1c and 1c and cured by heat curing, light curing, natural curing, or the like, or liquid crystal is encapsulated and dispersed in the above resin or polyvinyl alcohol resin and then solidified. In the liquid crystal layer 1a, the liquid crystals spontaneously disperse in a droplet state due to phase separation, the liquid crystals are continuously connected to form a continuous phase, the resin disperses in a droplet state, and the liquid crystal is a microcapsule. Are dispersed as.

The transparent electrode film 1c is a transparent resin film (thickness: 50 to 200 μm) made of polyethylene terephthalate, polyether sulfone, polycarbonate, etc.
A transparent electrode 1b formed by vapor deposition or sputtering of a crystalline or amorphous metal oxide such as ITO or tin oxide is preferably used, but one side of the above resin film is coated with a transparent conductive paint. Then, the transparent electrode 1b may be formed. The transparent electrode 1b does not necessarily have to be formed on the entire one surface of the resin film, and may be formed in a certain pattern or pattern. If one or both of the upper and lower transparent electrode films 1c, 1c use a transparent electrode film having such a transparent electrode having a pattern or pattern, the pattern or pattern becomes transparent when a voltage is applied. A light control material can be obtained. In addition, in order to improve weather resistance and impart various functions, it is of course possible to use a composite transparent electrode film obtained by laminating a weather resistance improving film, an ultraviolet cut film, a heat ray cut film and the like.

Further, the collecting electrode 1d suppresses the voltage drop of the transparent electrodes 1b, 1b, and is formed by applying a conductive paste or pasting a metal foil tape on the exposed edges of the transparent electrodes 1b, 1b.

As the transparent resin films 2 and 2 for wrapping the liquid crystal sheet 1 having such a structure, thermoplastic resin films such as nylon, polyacrylonitrile-based, polyvinylidene chloride-based, ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, and combinations thereof are used. A multi-layer film or the like is used, and among them, a multi-layer film of vinylidene chloride and polyethylene or the like having low air permeability and moisture permeability, a hot melt film and the like are particularly preferably used. This is because the former can surely protect the liquid crystal sheet 1 with an excellent barrier function, and the latter itself can serve as an adhesive, so that the transparent substrates 3, 3 can be easily adhered. The thickness of the transparent resin films 2, 2 is not particularly limited, but it is desirable to use a transparent resin film having a thickness of about 10 to 1000 μm in order to sufficiently protect the liquid crystal sheet 1. Sealing between the peripheral edges 2a, 2a of the transparent resin film 2, 2 may be a method of thermocompression bonding or thermocompression bonding under reduced pressure, a method of using an adhesive, or a method of interposing a hot melt film, and the transparent resin film to be used. The most suitable sealing method may be adopted according to the type. The width of the peripheral edges 2a, 2a to be sealed varies depending on the size of the liquid crystal sheet, but is preferably about 5 to 25 mm. With this width, it is possible to securely seal without leakage. it can. When the entire periphery of the transparent resin films 2 and 2 are sealed and the entire liquid crystal sheet 1 is lapped in this way, the plasticizer contained in the adhesive for laminating the transparent substrates 3 and 3 is prevented from entering the liquid crystal sheet 1. Since it can be surely prevented, and delamination of the liquid crystal sheet 1 and electric leakage can be surely prevented, durability and safety are improved.

In addition to the glass plate, various transparent resin plates, resin sheets and the like are used as the transparent substrate 3, and colored transparent substrates are also used. The thickness of the transparent base material 3 is not particularly limited, and a material having a proper thickness may be selected in consideration of its material, strength, application and the like. The method of laminating and integrating the transparent substrate 3,3 on the upper and lower surfaces of the transparent resin film 2,2 is a method by thermocompression bonding, a method by an adhesive, a method of interposing a hot melt film, a transparent resin film 2,2 is hot. In the case of a melt film, any method of directly heat-sealing may be adopted.
As described above, the work of laminating the transparent base materials 3 and 3 is performed by the peripheral edges 2a of the transparent resin films 2 and 2 which are laminated on the upper and lower surfaces of the liquid crystal sheet 1.
Since the entire liquid crystal sheet 1 is lapped by sealing the 2a's to each other so that both upper and lower surfaces are flat surfaces without steps,
The stacking work can be performed easily and efficiently, and even if the transparent base materials 3 and 3 are pressed from above and below, there is no risk of the transparent base materials 3 and 3 breaking as in the conventional case. Therefore, the generation of defective products is significantly reduced, and the adhesiveness and adhesive strength of the transparent substrates 3, 3 are also improved.

Further, the upper and lower transparent base materials 3, 3 need not have the same positional relationship in the upper and lower directions.
On the other hand, the lower transparent substrate 3 is shifted toward the other terminal piece 1e and laminated, or, as in the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, one of the upper and lower transparent substrates 3 (see FIG. Then, the lower transparent base material 3) may be enlarged to protect the terminal pieces 1e, 1e from being broken at the protruding portion of the transparent base material 3.

The light control material configured as described above is attached to the terminal piece 1e of the liquid crystal sheet 1 as a lead wire as it is or is attached to a portion where a frame material or the like is provided to perform light control. Then, when a voltage is applied between the upper and lower transparent electrodes 1b, 1b, the liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer 1a are aligned from the random state in the electric field direction, and the liquid crystal layer is aligned.
1a becomes transparent, and when no voltage is applied, the liquid crystal molecules are oriented in random directions again, and the liquid crystal layer 1a becomes cloudy, exhibiting a dimming function.

[Effect of device]

As is clear from the above description, the light control material of the present invention is
Laminating work of transparent base material can be performed easily and efficiently, and there is no risk of cracking even if the transparent base material is pressed from above and below, so the number of defective products is greatly reduced, and the adhesion and adhesion of the transparent base material is reduced. It has a remarkable effect of improving strength, and
There is an effect that the intrusion prevention of the plasticizer contained in the adhesive into the liquid crystal sheet, the peeling prevention of the liquid crystal sheet, the leakage prevention, and the like become more reliable.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing an embodiment of the light control material of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a liquid crystal sheet in the same embodiment, and FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing another embodiment of the light control material of the present invention. , FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a conventional example. 1 ... Liquid crystal sheet, 2 ... Transparent resin film, 2a ... Perimeter of transparent resin film, 3 ... Transparent base material.

Claims (1)

(57) [Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A light control material comprising a transparent resin film laminated on the upper and lower surfaces of a liquid crystal sheet, the peripheral edges of the films being sealed together, and transparent substrates laminated on the upper and lower surfaces of the liquid crystal sheet.